last updated on October 29, 2026

Welcome to my 12 Days of Thanksgiving Recipes for 2022! First up is these addicting pumpkin spice candied nuts. They’re really easy to make and the perfect snack to have around on Thanksgiving!

If you’ve been following me for a while then you’ll remember that for the last two years I’ve been doing a 12 Days of Thanksgiving Recipes in November. During those days I share 12 recipes that are perfect for your Thanksgiving dinner, or even for breakfast and snacking before dinner! It is always a fun roundup and I am so excited about this year’s recipes.

We are really starting off strong with these pumpkin spice candied nuts! Have you ever walked by a stand that is making candied nuts and it just smells incredible? When you make these that’s how your house will smell!!! I’ve made these a few times now and every time my entire apartment has smelled delightful all day. It is the best thing ever. Beyond the smell these will bring into your house, the taste is even better! The pumpkin pie spice added to these gives them such a yummy fall taste, and the nuts have the best crunch.

ingredients needed for pumpkin spice candied nuts

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2-3 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
4 cups nuts (i like almonds, pecans, cashews)
flaky salt

That is it. Literally so simple but they taste so good!

how to make pumpkin spice candied nuts

Start by adding the brown sugar, water, and pumpkin pie spice to a large pan over medium heat. Stir continuously as the sugar starts to melt.
When the mixture starts to boil, add in the nuts. Stir until all the nuts are evenly coated. Continue to stir for 6-7 minutes while the liquid starts to cook off.
When the excess sugary mixture has mostly cooked off, turn off the heat and immediately pour the nuts onto a lined baking sheet.
Use a spoon to spread the nuts across the baking sheet to evenly cool. Sprinkle a generous amount of flaky salt over the nuts. Stir the nuts a couple times as they cool to make sure they aren’t sticking too much to the other nuts.
Once they’ve cooled off, scoop them off the baking sheet and into a bowl. Enjoy!!

why these pumpkin spice candied nuts are the perfect snack

Okay let’s just hop right to this. These are the best snack for a lot of reasons.

The pumpkin pie spice. We all need some pumpkin pie spice in our lives, especially during Thanksgiving season! These nuts have the perfect amount of pumpkin pie spice, without being overwhelming.
The savory + sweet combo! I like using nuts that are roasted and lightly salted to begin with, then when we finish making these we top them with a little extra flaky salt. The salt perfectly balances the sweet making these the best snack!
Easily sharable. Any great snack is easy to share and can be snacked on all day long! These are the perfect option. Pour them in a bowl and set them out at the beginning of the day and people will snack on them all day long.

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Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2-3 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
4 cups nuts* (i like almonds, pecans, cashews)
flaky salt

Instructions

Add brown sugar, water, and pumpkin pie spice to a large pan over medium heat. Stir as the sugar starts to melt.
When the mixture starts to boil, add the nuts and stir until the nuts are evenly coated. Stir continuously and continue to cook as the liquid thickens, about 8-9 minutes.
When the sugary mixture has thickened enough that there isn't a lot of excess, turn off the heat and pour the nuts onto a lined baking sheet.
Use the back of a large spoon to spread out the nuts so they can cool evenly. Sprinkle a little flaky salt over all the nuts. Stir the nuts every 5 minutes while they cool to make sure they aren't sticking together.
Transfer to a bowl and enjoy! Keep any leftover nuts in an airtight container.

What’d you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have any questions!